Miniature Dress
Unknown Artist
12th–13th century
Medium
Cotton, feathers
Dimensions
H. 6 3/4 x W. 8 1/8 in. (20.3 x 17.1cm)
Classification
Textiles-Featherwork
Culture
Ica
Department
Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, Bequest of Nelson A. Rockefeller, 1979
Accession Number
1979.206.633
Art Historical Context
This exquisite *Miniature Dress* from the Ica culture of Peru's south coast, dating to the 12th–13th century, showcases the mastery of pre-Inca featherwork. Crafted from cotton fabric adorned with vibrant feathers, it measures just 6 3/4 x 8 1/8 inches—small enough to clothe a ritual doll or figurine. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection this textile exemplifies the Ica people's ingenuity in transforming natural materials into dazzling art. Featherwork held profound cultural significance for the Ica, a society renowned for its sophisticated textiles am...